In the Den of Snakes
by Code LJ
Summary: This is a continuation of my earlier story, "The Mission," which is the second in a series featuring Lady Jaye.  She is captured by Cobra and brainwashed to think she has been one of them all along!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my two dogs and when he feels like it, a cat.

_Author's Note: This is the continuation of "The Mission" story (published 3-29-11). It's the second in a series that, so far, includes 5 stories (but it keeps growing!)._

* * *

"Where is he now?" a worried voice quietly questioned.

"They have him under sedation. He had lost all control by the time we got there. The hotel management had already called the police for harassment. He apparently was tearing up the place looking for any sign of her," a different voice explained, the concern evident in his tone.

"Have you gotten from him what happened?"

"Yes and no. We know the twins, Xamot and Tomax, were involved. And that apparently there was blood. Seeing none from Flint, other than what was on his shirt, we have to guess it was Lady Jaye's."

With an indrawn breath, Scarlett feared for her best friend. "How did they even know she was here? It was almost like as soon as we got back, Flint had planned this surprise for her. I mean, he was ready and waiting to whisk her off. How could they have known?" She began to pace the suite that was set aside for temporary Joe headquarters. The management wanted as little of them seen as possible and had quickly offered this suite on the same floor as the crime scene. Already, Joes and the Vegas CSI were working together to put the pieces together.

"We still have no clue, but Snake Eyes and Spirit are trying to get a feel on things," Breaker replied. "If anyone can figure this out, it's those two. Sometimes, it's almost creepy," he shuddered. "No offense, Scarlet," he added quickly. Insulting Snake Eyes, or even seeming to be an insult brought out the worst in the redhead. She was already agitated enough.

Scarlett waved his apology off with a movement from her hand. "S'okay," she replied, distracted. "But why grab one, put on the big scene, and not grab Flint as well….I'd say that's the biggest mystery here. It seems…."she paused. "It seems that they wanted to put on a show. But why?"

* * *

Lady Jaye became conscious of a sound of a drill. As she slowly awoke, she realized the drill seemed to be in her head. She tried to move her arms and legs, but found she could not. She tried to open her eyes, but the light was too bright. What on earth? she thought, and then the scene back at the suite came back to her. She began to struggle and realized she was being restrained. Am I dead? she questioned in her head. Bright light, not able to move… in fact, shouldn't she feel pain from her side, where the knife had cut into her? She remembered looking down and seeing all the blood. Surely, with all that blood….or maybe she was numb…..or maybe she really was dead. Was this what Heaven was like, then?

"Your 'patient' seems to be coming around," a voice sounded from far off. She had a hard time focusing because of the pounding in her head. Was that a Joe's voice? Cobra's? An angel's?

"She must not interrupt the process with conscious thought. I think another injection is necessary. Possibly an IV. Yes, most definitely an IV," she thought she heard the voice chuckling. It continued. "Oh Lady Jaye, what I have in store for you…." it whispered close to her ear.

She felt the prick of a needle on her arm and although she fought the blackness, it soon engulfed her and she lay still.


	2. Chapter 2

Duke frowned as he saw Flint enter his office. "Aren't you on sick leave until tomorrow? It's not kosher to ignore orders from Doc or Psych-Out."

Flint glared at his best friend. "Like I could take another day of that! NO ONE has been updating me. I need to know what we are doing to find Lady Jaye. I need to be on the rescue team. I just need to…." he sat down hard on the only other chair in Duke's office. "I have to find her," he whispered so softly that Duke had to strain to hear him. "You know that."

Duke cleared his throat, uncomfortable with seeing the deflated look on his second in command's face. In the past, if it had concerned Lady Jaye, there had been passion – anger, jealousy, sometimes even a little fear – not that Flint would ever admit to that last one. However, seeing his friend looking so defeated, it was downright depressing.

"There was so much blood," Flint whispered, unable to express his worst fear – that Lady Jaye might not have made it. No, he couldn't go to that place right now. Not again.

Duke crossed over from his desk and put his hand on Flint's shoulder. "We're doing all we can," he explained gently. "Unfortunately, there's not much to report. Extensive Enterprises is a vacant building. No sign of the twins there. We still have it under surveillance, though. Snake Eyes and Spirit can't even pick up a trail. But, we'll find her" dead or alive, he added in his head, though not wanting to express that particular thought to Flint.

Flint stood quickly. "I need to be doing something. Something to help. Anything," he almost pleaded with the CO. "Being cooped up in sick bay does not help and" he held up a hand, "don't get me started on how I need to get my head together and think these things through clearly. I have. I am. I just need…to…..DO…something," he finished through gritted teeth.

Duke understood how Flint felt. "Have you thought over the account you gave earlier? Is there any detail you might have missed? Anything stand out? Even little things might help."

Flint sighed. "I've been through it too many times, it's almost surreal." He closed his eyes and shook his head sadly. "Why didn't they take both of us? Why just her? Why stab her? It was like a game they were playing. And how," he continued, his voice rising in anger, "how the HELL did they know we'd be in Vegas? Was it planned? Impromptu? They mentioned it was in retaliation for the school in Ireland. But why would they hurt her and not just leave her there?" His balled fist hit the wall of Duke's office hard enough it left an indentation. Duke sighed. It wasn't the first one to be created in his office, nor would it be the last.

"Without a lead, what can we do?" Duke softly said. "It's not just us looking into it. The Spooks are also on it, as well as Army Intelligence. We'll find something. All these brainiacs…." his voice trailed off. This wasn't helping his friend. "As soon as we know, you will be on the extraction….but" he added, in a stern voice, "you have GOT to keep your head!"

Flint looked at his CO and best friend. "Yes sir," he replied bitterly, walking out of the office, unsure of what to do next.

* * *

The next time Lady Jaye awoke, it was from a string of nightmares she seemed to be having, but could not get rid of. Fuzzy images, like a bad movie, kept replaying in her head. In the dreams, she had been beaten, drugged, threatened, and physically abused unless she agreed to join Cobra. Each time, she remembered, she had replied in the negative, but each time had been harder and harder and part of her body had just wanted to give up and say yes. Just to stop the constant abuse. However, she knew that once her spirit broke, that would be the end of her.

Slowly opening her eyes, she realized that the nightmares had been real. Her body was stiff and bloodied. Her ribs, she felt, were surely cracked as she had a hard time taking any kind of deep breath. Her eyes felt swollen and she could barely lift the lids. Her throat was dry and sore. She remembered screaming in Gaelic at her abusers, as well as several other languages, as they continued to torture her. She also remembered the voice, the one from before, the "doctor." His voice always seemed to be hissing in her ear. He kept injecting her with something, saying that it was not enough, he needed more. More of what, she wasn't sure.

"Good. She is awake," said a voice in clipped English. She heard the click of footsteps approach. Lady Jaye inwardly groaned, knowing there was no way she could fight off her abusers at this point, not with the damage they had already inflicted on her body.

"Can you hear us, dear?" inquired the same voice. It was female. "You are safe now. We have brought you home."

"Water…." gasped Lady Jaye, her throat raw and sore. A glass was pressed to her lips and she drank greedily. Home, she thought. Home in Scotland, although the voice did not have the brogue of her homeland.

"Easy now, you don't want to make yourself sick. As we said, you are safe now. Rest. We will take care of everything."

Lady Jaye sighed and lay back down on her bed. It was soft and a warm blanket was placed over her. She remembered at one point laying on what seemed to be a stone floor or hard bench, but no longer. Home. Safe. She gave a small smile as a thank you, the only one she could manage, and relaxed, letting sleep overtake her. Home, was her last thought before she drifted off, this time into the blessed healing darkness of sleep.

"Do you know your name?" inquired the same female voice. Jaye struggled to come fully conscious, not wanting to offend her host.

"Alison," she croaked, her throat still raw. A straw was placed in her mouth and she was grateful for the cool water. She cleared her throat. "Alison Hart-Burnett. Am I truly home?" Although her eyes were still slightly swollen, she was able to see around the room, noting that it looked like a hospital room. No, not truly home. In a hospital. A brief thought flitted into her head that she detested hospitals, but she did not know why. As soon as it was there, it was gone. She was lucky, she thought suddenly, almost as if another voice was inside her head. If they had not found her, she'd be lying in an alley, dead. She frowned. Now how did she know that?

"Good. Very good," the woman said soothingly. "We found you where those….those people had dumped you. Good thing. I don't think you would have made it much longer," she stated in a no-nonsense voice.

Lady Jaye looked closely at the woman who was dressed in a black jumpsuit. "You look familiar…." she mused quietly. "Have we met?"

The woman gave a cold smile. "Yes, we do know one another. However, in order for you to regain your memory, you will need to rest. The doctor will give you a sedative to help you sleep. Only then can your body regain its former strength and you can go about your usual duties." She placed her hand on top of Jaye's, resting on the sheet. Patting it, she continued, "We are truly lucky that we found you. You are very valuable to our organization." Nodding her head to someone standing just beyond the doorway, she stood back as a man in a white lab jacket gave her an injection in her arm. Yes, Jaye's last drowsy thoughts were, definitely need to rest to be able to regain my strength and status.


	3. Chapter 3

Alison, _beag aon_, are you awake?" a deep voice asked. Lady Jaye stirred and opened her eyes, staring at the man bending over her with the silver mask.

"_Eme_….Uncle James…." Lady Jaye smiled. "I should have known you'd be here by my side." She looked around. Where am I? How long have I been here? she wondered.

"You've been healing for many weeks since we found you," Destro answered. Jaye realized she had voiced her thoughts aloud. "Thank goodness for that! It makes me so angry that…" his fists clenched and unclenched, but he left his words hanging. "Nevertheless, you are back where you belong. Soon, you will be able to train and lead us on to victory over our enemies."

Jaye sat up in her bed. "How soon can I start? I…" she winced, feeling the pain in her side. "Okay, so maybe not right now…."

Destro chuckled. "Now, now my dear, let's not overtax ourselves. You still have some healing to do, but you will be most useful with training the troops as well as helping with our battle strategies. Those were always part of your strengths, although I know you love the field as well."

He handed her a black outfit. Unfolding it, Jaye noticed a black jumpsuit, much like the one the other woman….the Baroness, Jaye now remembered…had been wearing. She fingered the Cobra insignia on the sleeve. "Lady Jaye," she whispered. "My code name is Lady Jaye. I am an intelligence officer in the Cobra army."

Destro smiled. "Yes, yes, my dear. I am glad your memory is returning, baeg aon," he said affectionately. "It's nice to know my theaglach is watching my back once more." He patted her on the shoulder and left, giving her the privacy to change into her uniform.

Jaye glanced at herself in the mirror. The jumpsuit hid little and accentuated her curves. Something flashed quickly in her head as she looked into her own eyes in the mirror. A quick flash of green pants and a button-up shirt…..Jaye shook her head. What the hell was that? she wondered. I know I'd never wear something that unflattering! she thought disgustingly. While the jumpsuit was not high style, it was practical and allowed for optimal movement, something Jaye knew she needed in her missions.

A knock on the door and it slowly opened to reveal Destro and the Baroness, her twin in black, Jaye thought with a mental eyeroll.

"Are you ready to return to duty?" asked the Baroness. She smirked as she glanced up and down at Jaye's uniform. "I see you remember our lovely commander's choice of female uniform," she stated sarcastically. "Sexist pig," she mumbled.

"I don't know," replied Jaye, doing a turn and glancing at each side in the mirror. "It's at least practical. Better than a mini." She felt like this was an old joke between the two and smiled. The Baroness returned her smile. "We are just happy that you are home with your family…..where you belong," she added. Jaye couldn't quite figure out the expression on the Baroness' face. While there was amusement, there was also a look of triumph. Shrugging it off as one of the Baroness' many quirks she had learned about over the years, she followed the couple down the hallway.

She realized pretty quickly that this was indeed, not a hospital, but a base of operation. Where, she could not seem to recall, but shrugged it off to her injuries. The Baroness had mentioned she had temporary amnesia due to her traumatic experience, kind of like PTS, but that her memory would soon fully return. No one had yet to tell her who had done this to her, but she knew it was something the commander probably wanted to save for himself to tell. He was also a bit of a drama queen….NOT that you could mention it to him!

Jaye figured she was on her way back to full memory restoration if she could have such insight into her different coworkers and boss. She, Destro, and the Baroness entered a large room flanked by an enormous table one would find in an executive office boardroom. Sitting at the head was Cobra Commander. To his right were two identical men, sitting opposite of one another. Crimson Guard Commanders, she thought after a moment's hesitation. Xamot and….Tomax, her mind supplied. There was Zartan, slouching in the corner. She remembered he was also intelligence, like herself. He gave a curt nod as his eyes met hers. A cough from another part of the room made her alert to the fact that Major Blood, the aerial and strategist of the group, was also sitting in one of the chairs, his back to the others in the room as he gazed into the corner, seemingly lost in thought.

All eyes centered on the three entering the room. All the men stood and clapped as Lady Jaye entered. "Ssssso glad to see you up and well, Lady Jaye," hissed Cobra Commander. "We were all concerned about your welfare. How are you feeling?"

"Ready to be back in action, Commander," answered Jaye with a small smile. "I know it will take time to heal, but I am ready to serve however I can."

"Well said," said the Commander. One could almost imagine a smile under his mask. The others smiled and nodded.

"And what memories do you have of your….attack?" queried one of the twins…Tomax, she thought.

Jaye frowned. Fleeting glimpses swirled in her mind but were quickly gone. "I still don't quite have my full memory back, but I am sure you have your suspicions."

"Quite right," chuckled the commander. Zartan gave a derisive snort from where he still stood in the corner. "Zartan!" scolded the commander. "Do you have something to say?"

"Oh, no, Commander," answered Zartan sarcastically. "Pray do go on. I'd like to hear what you have to say to Lady Jaye about her….attack."

"Watch your tongue," warned Destro angrily. Jaye noticed his fist clenched at his side. Not sure what brought that on, other than a dislike for the intelligence officer, Jaye put her hand on his arm. He relaxed his fist and let it open, although Jaye could still feel the tension in his arm.

"We do have our…sussspectssss…." answered the Commander, with an amused tone in his voice. "Please, sit," he indicated a seat next to one of the twins, across from Major Blood, who had stayed silent during the whole exchange. He now started at Lady Jaye thoughtfully, hi s face guarded. Nice poker face, she thought with a mental roll of the eyes. She turned her attention towards the commander, feeling ill at ease next to the Crimson Guard commander. She couldn't explain why, just that there was something not quite right at the way he was looking at her.

"Yesssss…..we do have our suspectsssss…while the Baroness did find you alone and quite beaten, based on a tip we received from one of our spies, we do believe that it was GI Joe that was behind it." The Commander got up and began to pace, excitement entering his voice as he continued the story.

"Yesss….they have often tried to recruit you from our cause, sending spies into our midst, filling your head with liessss. In fact, from what Zartan figured out, they tried to…brainwash," he stopped and began to giggle. Composing himself, he continued. Jaye could feel the glare coming off Destro as her uncle protectively put his hand on her shoulder. "Pray continue, commander, or we will find someone who can."

The Commander's voice was condescending. "Patience, Destro. I'm just getting to the good part!"

Jaye flinched inwardly, making sure to hide her thoughts. The Commander was always acting like he had a few screws loose. Not that his officers would ever voice it…well, except for Destro. Her uncle never let any man fully command him. Jaye wondered why he still served the Commander, but knew part of the reason was because he was in too deep. They all were.

The Commander continued. "Asssss I was saying, we believe that they tried to brainwash you into believing you were part of the GI Joe team. Even going so far as to marry you off to one of their members!"

Jaye gasped. It came out before she could control the action. Her anger surfaced as she coldly said, "And why would they do that? What have they to gain from doing something so ridiculous? I'm not really MARRIED to one of those vermin, am I?"

The Commander seemed pleased at her response. "Oh, well, we have our Crimson Guard to thank for extracting you before that event happened. Of course, they were after your family's money. We all know that GI Joe is facing budget cuts from their government and will be no longer soon enough. However, they thought they could brainwash you into donating your family's fortune to their….cause…." he snickered.

Jaye was getting really irritated at his amusement. She knew the Commander was definitely a few pints short of a gallon, but this was getting ridiculous. She frowned and faced Xamot. "I appreciate your team's efforts on my part." She made sure to include a nod to Tomax as well. Even if her instincts did tell her something was not quite right with the twins, it did not hurt to show gratitude, no matter how grudgingly in this organization. Enemies will get you killed, but allies will watch your back….well, until it suited their purpose to no longer do so.

The twins acknowledged her with a nod. Jaye was anxious to leave the room. Something wasn't quite right, she could feel it, but she could not put her finger on it. She knew the Commander was laughing at her situation, but she wasn't sure why. Probably something to do with her uncle and their ongoing feud. She remembered that it was her uncle who brought her into the organization. He had explained that Cobra lacked leadership and training skills, and that she could definitely supply both in multitudes. A quick flash of pain had Jaye wincing outwardly. She had hoped no one would notice (you could not show weakness with this crew), but Zartan spoke once again from his corner.

"Are you sure you are up to your duties…..Lady Jaye?" he asked, pausing between his question and her codename.

She frowned at him. "Quite. I'd like to get started as soon as possible." With that, the meeting broke up and each officer went his/her separate ways. Unsure of where to go, Jaye was surprised when Zartan appeared at her side and offered to show her to her "office." This earned a frown from the Baroness, who had been quiet the entire meeting. While Jaye remembered Major Blood never really spoke unless he had an opinion, it was unlike the Baroness to not force her opinion, or side of the story on any situation.

Jaye accepted Zartan's offer and they walked together down one hallway, which turned into another, passing by several soldiers dressed in Cobra uniform.

"How much DO you remember?" Zartan asked Lady Jaye, giving her a sideways glance as they walked down one hallway which seemed to blend into another.

Somehow, Jaye felt at ease with Zartan. She wasn't sure why. He had certainly done nothing to gain her trust. She just felt she could be honest with him without it coming back on her.

She frowned. "Honestly? Not much. Brief glimpses here and there, being on a cold stone floor or bench, being beaten, abused and god knows what…." she trailed off, thinking. "I remember it being dark, or a light being shined in my face. Either way, I think it was done so I could not identify my attackers."

She stopped. "How many days has it been since the Baroness found me?"

Zartan stopped and looked at her, his face guarded. "You've been here for three months. At first, you fought the de-programming. It took a lot of healing, as well as Dr. Mindbender's, er, experimentation, to bring you back to our side."

Jaye felt his answer was too broad, but dismissed it. It may have been a need-to-know basis. That brought on another sharp pain in her head. She reflexively put her hand to the side of her head.

"Problem?" queried Zartan.

"Just a pain now and then, probably backlash from whatever happened. No big deal. I can still do my job," she answered stubbornly.

This earned a grimace from Zartan, which could almost pass for a smile from the jaded intelligence officer. "You've always been stubborn, Lady Jaye. I think that's why I've always kind of liked you."

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_beag aon is Gaelic for "small one"_

_eme is Gaelic for "uncle"_


	4. Chapter 4

As the month passed, Lady Jaye did indeed grow stronger and return to her duties as intelligence officer, although she found herself more and more paired not with Zartan, but Major Blood. While she admired his battle strategies, she did have suggestions in certain areas that at first, he fought, but then chose to accept the fact that she really DID know what she was talking about! A grudging respect passed between the two.

Lady Jaye also became more vocal in her meetings with the Commander. He even began to mumble that he could see how she was related to Destro. However, her ideas were sound and helped build the Cobra army. She had taken it upon herself to watch training exercises, as well as encourage battle footage being shot so they could analyze attack styles and methods. She became an expert on how to read attack patterns by their enemies and even encouraged the Commander to allow Storm Shadow to recruit and train a small Ninja force. She admired Storm Shadow and knew that underneath what seemed a calm composure, she sensed unrest. However, she admired how he pushed that down to focus on the task at hand. She had even taken to meditating with him during the day, particularly after stressful situations or when she needed inspiration to strike.

All in all, Lady Jaye was well respected by her Cobra counterparts. Her quick intelligence and attention to detail started to build a more powerful organization than even the Commander had realized. While her temper would flare in situations (and woe be unto the soldier who raised her ire), her good humor and general overall loyalty and respect won her over many admirers.

It wasn't until Jaye picked up a javelin one day during training exercises, something thrown aside in a pile of discarded weapons, that she felt like a bee drawn to honey. It felt like….home. She knew this was her weapon and was curious as to why the others had not mentioned it to her before. She immediately let the Commander know that her next idea would be to choose and train an elite section of female Cobra soldiers, using the javelin as their main weapon. It took some convincing, but she noticed the Commander only engaged in it half-heartedly. Either he was conceding to her ideas as being well thought and valuable, she guessed, or he was tired of fighting her. Whatever the reason, Jaye forged ahead and found success with her new legion of soldiers.

However, Jaye tired of being cooped up at headquarters. Here she was discussing, planning, and implementing strategies with her fellow officers, but she still had not been on a mission. Zartan could come and go as he pleased, and often did, which she suspected were missions, but she was not given one. This thought really rankled her. Hadn't she proved she was ready?

So, it was on one of her training exercises in the nearby jungle surrounding the compound that she finally saw some real action. Quite by accident, really, but enough to let her get her taste for battle again. A scouting team of Joes had been sighted. Jaye was thrilled that she and her elite team were allowed to prove themselves with this test.

After pinpointing exactly where the enemy would be passing, she and her elite team waited in the trees. Storm Shadow and his ninja force were not too far away in case she needed backup. While she doubted it, it did not help to be prepared and helped boost her confidence. She was a little nervous about her first engagement with the enemy, but pushed that way deep down inside herself. No sense dwelling on it.

She breathlessly waited for the enemy. She felt her heartbeat might be giving her away, as fast as it was beating. She took a few silent, deep breaths to calm herself. She could hear the thwack of a machete as it cut through the jungle foliage.

"Seriously, Gung Ho, do you think anything will live in this place besides snakes and bugs?" grumbled a voice. It was not said loudly, but the voice carried to Lady Jaye and her team. She signaled for her team to be ready. The plan was to spring from the tree tops and take the enemy by surprise. Her women would then subdue the enemy with several specially made javelins, just right for this occasion.

"It wouldn't be so bad if we didn't have to listen to you whine every five minutes," retorted a female voice. "Damn, Shipwreck, I think this actually might be a record for you."

"Sailors weren't meant to hack through jungles," grumbled the voice.

Suddenly, the hacking stopped. "Snake Eyes said that there's something ahead, and it's not a welcoming party," warned the female voice.

Snake Eyes…..Jaye searched her brain for what she had learned about the Joe. Mute ninja. Good thing she had Storm Shadow as backup. While she felt confident her team could handle the other Joes, she wasn't sure if they were up to dealing with a Ninja at this point.

Then, they were there. Silently, Jaye signaled to her team and as they dropped from the trees, unleashing their specially made javelins that opened as nets that were coated with a special chemical that put their victim to sleep.

Not using the trademarked "Cobra" battle cry was one of Jaye's ideas. She felt that it gave the enemy too much time to react to the fact that they were being attacked. This way, the enemy didn't know what hit them until they were already subdued.

Nets dropped on all five of the Joes, missing only the Ninja who, as expected by Lady Jaye, had sensed the attack rather than seeing it. While her team dealt with the trapped, who were struggling against the nets, especially the big one…..Gung Ho…..Lady Jaye's mind told her…..she doubted they would get out. The nets were also made to tighten the more you struggled. She also wasn't too worried about the weapons, including the machete the team carried. Although she did not mess around with gunfire, she knew, after studying their battle moves, that they wouldn't dare fire at close range, worried about hitting a teammate. Jaye sneered at their compassion. It had no place in battle. While she would fight for her team and back up anyone who needed it, they all were very well aware that every battle could be a sacrifice. Else, why be there in the first place.

Lady Jaye jumped from her hiding spot so that she faced the ninja. He drew his sword and turned to face her. He had been trying to free his teammates, especially the red head…Scarlett…..Jaye remembered from files she had to study.

Her hatred threatened to boil to the surface, remembering the photos that were shown to her of her condition after the Joes had tried to brainwash her, unsuccessfully, and the abuse that followed. She sneered at Snake Eyes, drawing her own sword. Aha, she thought, noticing his body language express surprise, didn't think a woman could best you.

"Snake Eyes!" the red head screamed. Jaye ignored her as did her opponent. He seemed unsure what to do. While his body blocked her view of the trapped Joes, she could tell that her team was succeeding as several of the nets seemed to be dragged to the side.

Suddenly, the Ninja threw his sword down and touched her forehead. The move was so fast, Jaye didn't have time to react. A sharp pain almost brought her to her knees, centered at where his fingers touched. She heard a feral growl and realized it was her. She rose, sword still in hand and swung out blindly. Not the best of moves, but one that took the Ninja's hand off her head. With that, the pain also subsided as quickly as it had come.

"Let me handle my old friend," a voice behind her said. Storm Shadow. While she ached to fight the ninja herself, she was intelligent enough to know that she was not just skilled enough in that type of combat and it was best left to her comrade. It also left her free to command her own force.

The nets were a success. Five bundles awaited her team. Jaye pressed a button on her watch and Destro's new toy (there were advantages to being his niece – she got first dibs on all his new gadgets!) silently rolled out of the trees. It reminded her of a coal car used in mines long ago, but was completely controlled by remote. Her team hefted the unconscious Joes into it. The one named Gung Ho required several of her team, and herself, to throw him in. She smirked. A few bruises might do these hot heads good, considering what she had suffered.


	5. Chapter 5

"What do you mean, he _escaped_?" screeched the Commander to Storm Shadow. "You are a Ninja! You can't even best your old enemy?"

Storm Shadow's mouth tightened, but he did not speak.

"Commander," interceded Lady Jaye, "I think we need to prepare ourselves for an extraction team or a whole out attack. If they've found our base with this team, then the rest of the Joes will know a general area to attack. We don't know if they had a chance to contact their team or not. I think we need to be prepared and not go unawares, as we have so many times in the past." She could see the Commander's anger turn towards her. "It's the Joes' pattern," she explained quickly, trying to soothe ruffled feathers. God knows, she thought, don't remind him of how much he is a failure in this business. "I think we need to be put on full alert. If necessary, have our men watch the skies, since that's the likely method they'll attack, so they can find us by air."

The Commander seem to mull over what she said. She wished the twins were here. They were the only ones who seemed to be able to talk sense into the rapidly deteriorating Commander. She stood her ground and was surprised to hear Major Blood second her opinion. Not only had she not seen him come into the room, he, unlike the others, still looked at her with suspicion and doubt every time they met, which was not often.

"Very well," conceded the Commander. "Prepare ourselves for attack."

* * *

"What's the word, Breaker? Have we heard from the recon team yet?" questioned Duke at the GI Joe Headquarters.

"No word, Duke. Last check in was several hours ago. They're only overdue by about 30 minutes. Also, we might be getting interference from the jungle."

"Or, they could have been captured by Cobra," sneered a bitter voice from the shadows of the room. Flint stepped into the light, squinting at the two men. It had been almost a year since Lady Jaye had disappeared. His frustration often took the form of heavy drinking while off duty. Too much of a soldier to be inebriated on-duty, the toll was certainly showing itself on his haggard appearance. He had a negative attitude and showed even more aggression when engaging with the enemy. Duke often wondered if it was vengeance for losing Lady Jaye. While they all missed her, he knew it had hit Flint the hardest. Once, during a night when Duke decided to join him before he was too far gone, he had expressed to Duke his frustration at not being able to save Alison. "How could I have been so stupid?" he groused to Duke, taking another drink. This night, it was Wild Turkey. Other nights, it was beer….depending on what he had available. Either way, Flint usually was a mean drunk. On nights when it was liquor, that was when he usually opened up. That had been such a night. "How could I have let her slip through my fingers. I should've watched my back…."

Duke had learned to let Flint just talk through it. To interrupt him usually meant getting physical, and he had already broken enough things in the apartment. All the Joes were sympathetic towards Flint. They knew how much Lady Jaye had meant to him and in their own small way, they tried to help. Scarlett and Cover Girl had helped pick up his room, do his laundry….well, they did until on one of his meaner nights, he threatened them by yelling at them and swinging the empty bottle around.

Trips to Psych-Out also did not help. Duke could understand that. Flint was raised in a household where men were men. You didn't pour out your feelings to a shrink. While Duke could respect that, he wished that Flint would at least consider it.

Duke's mind came back to the present as Flint spoke again. "Are you sending in a strike team when they don't check in?" Not "if," Duke noticed, but "when." While still a good soldier and leader on duty, Flint's negativity had affected some of his missions so that neither one of the women on the Joes would work with him. This they clearly stated to Duke after one such mission where he had belittled their performances one time too many.

Duke sighed. He turned to Flint. "I guess you want to lead it?" he said, already knowing the answer. Flint nodded. Duke sighed again and rubbed his forehead, sensing a monster of a headache coming on.

They discussed the Joes to make up the team and then Flint left to gather them up.

"Wait a minute!" Breaker yelled. "I think I'm getting something!" All Duke could hear was static. Then he realized he was hearing a pinging sound. It sounded in a pattern.

"Morse code!" he realized. Grabbing a pad of paper, he began to write the message down. The transmission ended.

"It must have been Snake Eyes," whispered Breaker. Turning to Duke, he noticed his face. "What did he say?"

Duke looked at the message again. It must be wrong. It had to be. Either way, he guessed he would have to tell Flint. God knows what this would do to the already strung out second in command.

"It looks like they ran across a Cobra hunting party…led by….." he gulped, "…Lady Jaye."


	6. Chapter 6

Lady Jaye crossed her arms and scowled at her uncle. "Would you tell me WHY, Destro, that I cannot interrogate our 'guests'? Don't you think I deserve a little payback?"

Destro sighed. While he was proud of his niece being a spitfire, he didn't like when it was turned on him. "My dear," he placated, "we have need of you in other situation. As you correctly predicted, our spies tell us the Joes are assembling a strike force. Since our track record against a strike force has not always been successful, I suggest we be ready to make our leave."

Lady Jaye scowled. "I KNOW about the track record. And this is a day for change. What Major Blood, Zartan, and myself have cooked up….well, let's just say that the record is going to turn but good." She was proud of what the three had worked up. Zartan would disguise himself as an escaped Joe and, using the Joe comm. taken from one of the prisoners, contact the Joes and lead them on a goose chase. Meanwhile, Major Blood would have his own trap set that Zartan would lead the Joes right into. She rubbed her hands together. So she had a thirst for revenge, she thought. Nothing wrong with that. Well, as long as it didn't totally consume you. She made sure hers did not, but if the opportunity arose, like it was today, she planned to have a little….payback.

Destro was worried. While Lady Jaye had to have some "booster" sessions with Dr. Mindbender, based on the headaches and flashes she was receiving, it had been a while since one had been needed. She was indeed 100% Cobra at this point. He could feel it. However he was also not one to rock the boat. He'd rather whisk his niece away to safety than have her compromised by a Joe. In fact, she had so impressed her fellow Cobra officers, that there was even some murmurings of replacing him with her. While Destro had puffed out in pride….he had his own business to run and had no interest in leading Cobra at this point….he also worried those blasted twins would find out and go running to the Commander. Fortunately, they were busy trying to rebuild their business elsewhere since they had to abandon Extensive Enterprises. They had rarely been seen since Lady Jaye had returned to duty.

Lady Jaye bit her lip and contemplated her uncle, wondering what was running through his head. That blasted mask of his blocked his face from showing expression most times, other than a slight tightening of the lips when he was irritated or worried. She wondered which he was now. His fists kept clenching and unclenching as well. She figured he was at war with himself in either giving in to his favorite niece or whisking her off to safety. Her uncle needed to learn that she was all grown up, not the small child he tried to protect so long ago.

She let out a long sigh. "Uncle….Destro…..I understand you are worried but I am back 100%. Look at the success of my team on the ambush! Even though Storm Shadow wasn't able to capture the Joe ninja, we are well prepared for attack. Let me prove myself. I promise you, I won't take unnecessary risks."

She gave a soft smile, an affectionate hug for her uncle, which surprised him with the growing tense atmosphere of the compound, and then she was off before he said another word. Damn her, but she was beguiling as well as intelligent, he thought with pride. I am so glad we were able to help her "see the light."

Lady Jaye took a deep breath and released it as she waited outside the area where they were holding the Joe prisoners. It's now or never, she thought. My last hurdle to prove that the brainwashing by the Joes was NOT a success. She knew her migraines were part of the flashback process, her own brain at war with itself due to the brainwashing. No one had mentioned it to her, just told her that Mindbender at one time was a neurologist. Whatever. He was a freakin' mad scientist, as far as she was concerned. She avoided him usually. He just gave her the creeps. While he DID help with the headaches, she thought she'd rather spend a night on a double date with the twins then deal with him again. Ugh. That thought just turned her stomach. Taking another deep breath, she squared her shoulders and approached the guards. They immediately straightened and saluted.

"The prisoners?" she questioned.

"Secure and quiet," replied one of the guards. "We've checked on them, as you've asked, to make sure they are not planning anything. But…" he looked nervous. "It's too quiet, do you know what I mean, ma'am?"

Jaye nodded. She had a hand in training the soldiers for guard duty. Too much in the past, the guards had easily been duped by the enemy. It was fine to have muscle in your army, but if you didn't have a brain to go along with it, you were pretty much useless.

"We are going to have to move them," she told the guards quietly, not wanting to be overhead from the prison cell. "The Joes will figure where to look. My plan is to knock them out once again to make the move easier on us all. We're going to hide them. After all," she smirked, "it's an extraction by the Joe team…why should we make it any easier on them?"

"Yes ma'am!" replied the guards with a mirrored smirk. They really admired Lady Jaye. Everyone talked about how she should replace Cobra Commander. The man was obviously a lunatic, but this lady had brains, guts, and leadership skills. Of course, the soldiers never let on to the officers how they felt. They could still be punished for treason if it was found out. Imagine, her coming up with this plan, studying the enemy moves and how they operate. Very smart on her part! Their admiration for her went up another notch.

Jaye went to a box near the guards' station. She handed each guard a mask and then took two small canisters, one for each cell, pulled the top, and tossed them in through the barred window. Explanations, not to mention a few expletives, followed. Under her mask, Jaye entered the first cell and saw that while some were struggling against the gas, most were losing the battle. Yo Joe, she thought with twisted smile. Once they were all down, she guided the soldiers to drag the five unconscious Joes to a hidden room, only accessed through a switch in a false set of crates. Dumping their bodies, she tore off her mask to look once again at her enemies, possibly even the ones behind her kidnapping and beating. Ugh. She hoped they hadn't tried to marry her off to that big guy, Gung Ho. Definitely not her type. A flash of soft brown eyes and a voice echoed in her head. She shook it to clear the memory. Definitely not wanted right now. Whoever it was.

"Good luck finding your teammates," she told the unconscious Joes. The sound of aircraft had her leaving the room quickly, securing the door behind her.


	7. Chapter 7

Flint had elected not to fly a Sky Striker in the attack, opting instead for riding in one of the choppers. His head was clear enough to realize that in his present state, he would not be able to engage in a Sky Striker.

Oh, God. When Duke had let him know the message from Snake Eyes. So many emotions went through his mind. Relief, fear, an overpowering sense of relief. And of course, love. He wanted to scream to the world that she was alive! What held him back was the rest of the message. What in hell was she doing LEADING a Cobra ambush? What had they done to his lady? Whatever it was, he growled to himself, he would surely make them pay. A year of trying to track down those damn twins. They had abandoned their building and simply disappeared. Good thing, too, because he would probably have ended up in the brig, tearing them from limb to limb to find out where they had taken her. In his heart, he had always known she survived somewhere. They would have left her body if she hadn't. He knew he hadn't been their target when he awoke. Every night, he relived the scene. It had taken a toll on him so that the only way to sleep at night was either pills or getting drunk. His head was much clearer in the morning with a hangover than any damnable pills. Oh sure, they had forced sessions with Psych-Out on him, but as usual, he had kept to himself, except for that one time he was tricked. He admitted that he felt it was his fault that she was not recovered, that she had been taken in the first place. The shrink had simply just looked at him and asked him how it had made him feel. Figures for a shrink. At that, Flint had simply gotten up, walked away, and not returned.

He was proud of himself for staying calm, cool, and collected as he helped with the strategy of the extraction. Inside, he was all churning emotions, but pushed it down so he could focus on the plan. He was enough of a realist to know that if he led the charge….well, suffice to say, it's good that he would be able to go on his side mission. His goal was to find Lady Jaye and bring her home. Whatever the hell they had done to her, he would undo. He didn't know how, but he would do it. The guilt of what she must have suffered through this past year ate him up inside. He took a deep breath and brought his focus outward. Right now, the mission, his mission, was precedent.

* * *

"Ma'am, they're coming in fast by air."

"Good," smiled Lady Jaye, "just as we had planned. Let's just hope Zartan is able to play his part well. Major Blood," she called over the frequency. "Have your men on standby. Operation Joe Blow has begun."

* * *

Scarlett was the first to wake in the dark room. She sensed others with her, but also sensed that they were her teammates. She could smell Gung Ho, she thought with a roll of her eyes.

"Wha-" she heard Shipwreck exclaim. "What the hell…."

"Can it, sailor." Scarlett ordered sharply. "They've obviously moved us to a more secured location. The team must be attacking." She pondered for a moment, and continued, her voice tinged with confusion. "Did anyone else hear the voice before we were put under? The female one?"

"Baroness?" questioned one.

"No," Scarlett replied thoughtfully. "But it's a voice I know, I just can't….." her eyes widened. "Oh shit," she said softly.


	8. Chapter 8

Zartan had managed to sidetrack the Joes and they fell right into Major Blood's trap. Lady Jaye was elated. She turned, smiling to Destro. "Shall we watch the destruction of the Joes?"

Destro frowned. "Don't get too cocky, my dear. It's not over. Not all of the Joes are engaged with Major Blood's forces," he pointed out to the map, frowning at the two small dots that were still on a straight path to the compound.

Lady Jaye frowned. "We'll take care of that." With that, she ordered ground forces, as well as gunners to ready and to shoot on sight.

Destro nervously watched her. While he had faith in his niece's abilities, this was her first combat as a Cobra. He had to do something to keep her from harm. He had heard the talk. He also agreed. He thought she could be the one to replace Cobra Commander, to make this organization the powerhouse it really could be. Destro had never really cared about taking over the world, as the Commander focused on. In fact, it was that very obsession which Destro believed had taken his sanity. No, he could see Lady Jaye leading them into a new era of Cobra. It was something he was playing around in his mind and he had talked to his niece to find she was like minded. Because of this, and the fact that she was family, he felt he needed to protect her at all costs. Turning, he ordered two guards to be with her at all times and to provide backup. Hearing this, she turned and frowned, but understood her limitations being one person.

"I'll be fine, uncle. I promise." She smiled. She gave him a hug and kiss on his cold, steel cheek and, grabbing her javelins, left the room to see to her troops.

Destro signaled one of the guards. "If she dies or is captured, it'll be your head. If you see her in any danger that she may not be able to make it out of, you are to subdue her any way possible and bring her to me." The soldier, looking surprised, merely nodded his head. He, too, had heard the rumors and knew she could be their one salvation.

* * *

Flint knew he was on extraction team. While the others had engaged Major Blood's forces, his mission was to focus on the retrieval of his missing team, and that included, in his mind, Lady Jaye. His copter landed in a clearing and Flint and his forces stealthily moved forward towards the compound they had glimpsed from the air.

Suddenly, Cobra land troops were everywhere. Flint yelled to his team to keep moving at all costs, battling their way to the compound. He noted, with surprise, that several specialized javelins were flying through the air, not just bullets. Lady Jaye? But no, he saw, as he noted a group of soldiers hiding in what looked like tree stands. Several javelins exploded on contact, while others trapped his men under nets. Flint kept moving, knowing that falling back now would be suicide. He could NOT give up, not on his Ali. He could NOT come so close only to fail. Failure was not an option at this point. While the others had orders to find Scarlett and her team, Flint had direct orders from Hawk himself. Find her and bring her home. Flint knew the general had always had a soft spot for Lady Jaye and this proved it. Flint didn't want him thinking that he chose the wrong man.

And they were smart enough to realize that would be his focus, anyhow. I guess they decided to not try to fight it, he thought with a silent chuckle, before turning back to the battle at hand.


	9. Chapter 9

Lady Jaye watched from one of the observation towers in the compound. She saw how close the Joe team was getting. She swore, the Celtic flowing from her fluently. Damn those Joes! She hadn't counted on the pure stupidity of a suicide mission to rescue the prisoners. She noted one soldier in particular, wearing some sort of hat…was it a beret? she wondered, rolling her eyes. It's not France, buddy! she thought with a sneer. However, he seemed more skilled than most and was rapidly making his way to the front of the compound.

"Ma'am," one of the guards her uncle had put on her shakily began. Turning, she noted that they were trying to hide their fear, but understood it, as well as she understood her own frustration. "Destro ordered us to keep you safe, even if we have to subdue you…." he let it trail off, seeing the flash of fury in her eyes.

It quickly passed, followed by a look of contemplation. "He's right," she conceded. Turning, she looked once more at the soldiers fighting below. "I hadn't counted on their sheer stupidity nor their willingness to die," she said bitterly. This was NOT going as she had planned.

Grabbing one of her javelins, the one tipped with poison, she took careful aim at the soldier in the beret. "At least one of you can go down with me," she muttered, letting it fly. As if sensing its approach, the soldier looked up for just a moment and caught her eye. She gasped and stepped back from the window. Who WAS he? What sort of person sent a shockwave like that through your system? Had she just recognized one of her abusers?

The soldier sidestepped her javelin and it came to rest in the body of one of her soldiers. Letting out a loud scream of frustration, she ordered her guards to follow her and made her way to Destro's rendezvous spot, cursing the soldier and the fear that went coursing through her when their eyes had met.

Flint's eyes froze on the woman in the tower. He could not make out her face, but something about her….was it her? He saw the javelin raised and expertly thrown towards him. He also heard the scream of frustration as it missed him by inches, hitting a Cobra soldier who had been sneaking up behind him. He was confused, letting part of his brain dwell on it as he continued to fight. Was the javelin aimed for him, or for the soldier who was sneaking up on him? If it was meant to protect him, why the scream of frustration? Once he heard that, he knew. Heaven knows how many times she had let one out because of something he had done, or had not done.

He was convinced it was her. This gave him a renewed energy and he fought with even more vigor. Soldiers seem to sense this and it was like a parting of the Red Sea for him. No one seemed to want to get in his way. As he reached the door to the fortress, he called for backup. Several Greenbacks followed him inside. Knowing how Cobra Commander liked to lay out his fortress, he knew the captured Joes would be in the lower level. However, he was sure Lady Jaye was somewhere above him. He sent the Greenbacks to the lower levels, knowing that by now, all soldiers would be fighting, including any guards that had been on prison duty. He knew his mission lay above.


	10. Chapter 10

She fumed as she stormed down the now-secure hallway. As of this point, the enemy had not breached this part of the compound, but it was only a matter of time. She knew she hadn't underestimated their strategy, but she HAD underestimated their overall tenacity. Maybe that's where the Commander fell short each time, she thought. At least Major Blood was reporting heavy losses with the Joes, so even though the fortress had fallen, there was some victory that they would have to take heart in.

She stopped short, her gut telling her that someone was here. The hallway was shadowy as the power had been out since the battle had begun, the generator being destroyed in one of the aerial attacks. She slowly gestured to her guards and moved her hand to the gun at her side. "Show yourself," she growled.

"Jaye," it was but a mere whisper and for a moment, had her frozen in time. The voice…..a sharp pain erupted in her head and she felt her hand instinctively hold it. Not now, she screamed internally. Her sheer willpower made her bring her head up and glare at the soldier who was stepping into the path of sunlight by a window. It was the beret-wearing soldier. The one she had missed. Figures, she thought sarcastically.

He held his hands up. "I just want to talk."

"I have nothing to say…_JOE_….." she sneered at him. "Now either get the hell out of my way or I'll be forced to shoot you."

His features showed a range of emotions in only a few seconds. She thought shock might have been one of them.

"Ali, I'm taking you out of here whether I have to knock you out or you come willingly," he said, his tone forceful.

"I don't know who the hell you think you are, but as you can see," she said, gesturing to her guards, "you are clearly outgunned. I don't think you'll be doing anything of the sort. Now, I am NOT in a good mood and I don't give these offers out lightly. Either get the hell out of my way or be shot."

He stood firm. "I don't think you'll shoot me."

She looked at him. "While you may be handsome, _Frenchy_, I'm sure your good looks are not enough for you to survive a bullet in your gut." She aimed her gun at him and stepped forward.

Jaye couldn't say why she just couldn't shoot him, why she had to try to talk him out of her way instead of just grabbing the gun and shooting it. Maybe it was the fact it was her first combat after so long. She didn't like the weakness. It made her fury grow more so that she growled out, "One last time…..or do you have a death wish?"

He simply looked at her, dropped his gun on the floor and raised his hands. She gave a growl of frustration. She walked right up to him, her gun in his face and willed herself to shoot the trigger. If he was stupid enough to think she wouldn't do it, just because she was a woman, he was dead wrong.

"Lucky for you, I don't feel like getting brains splattered on my outfit today. I have a long flight," she growled, and hit him with the butt of her gun, knocking him out. "Leave him," she growled to the soldiers. "We don't have room for prisoners."

* * *

She flexed and unflexed her fingers, mentally playing over that scene again in her mind. What the hell happened to her? What kind of soldier did she make if she couldn't kill one man, even when armed?

Her uncle sighed. Placing his hands over hers, he slowly forced her fingers to relax. They were on a private plane heading for home. Scotland. She couldn't wait. She couldn't even remember the last time she had been home. It had been too long, she sighed. Maybe once there, she could put her mind to rest about the scene that kept playing through her mind.

She also knew she and her uncle had a lot to talk about. Namely, the state of affairs of Cobra.


End file.
